HELP Course: Objectives

The objectives of the course are to equip participants with the basic skills and competencies to enable them to respond to the public health needs of populations in emergency situations. These include the areas of planning, epidemiological assessment, control of communicable diseases, information and surveillance systems, environmental sanitation methods and meeting nutritional requirements in refugee situations.

At the completion of this course, students will be able to:

Select methods for assessing specific emergency situations in the field

Develop and implement a general or a specific health program to assist a displaced population

Foresee that immediate assistance projects might need to be extended into long-term development programs

Develop a common approach to providing services among humanitarian organizations

Monitor the adequacy of the service being provided to an affected population

Assess the ethical implications of all possible plans of action during an emergency

Apply the principles of International Humanitarian Law when providing services in conflict situations